Annual $5,550 Prose and Poetry Contests, Open to All Writers

Each year, Tom Howard Books and John Howard Reid sponsor three Writing Contests. These Contests are open to all writers worldwide, although please note that all entries must be written in English.

In order of annual closing dates, these contests are:

1. The John Howard Reid/Tom Howard Short Story, Essay and Prose Contest, deadline March 31, 2012. See full details below. Entries for Contest 20 are now being accepted. Prize money will amount to at least $5,550. The entry fee, however, will remain at $15 for each story or essay up to 5,000 words in length. The prize structure for Contest 20 will consist of a First Prize of $3,000, a Second Prize of $1,000, a Third Prize of $400, and a Fourth Prize of $250. In addition, at least six cash prizes of $150 each will be awarded, making a total of $5,550.

2. The $5,550 Margaret Reid Poetry Prize. The 2012 contest is now open. See full details below.

3. The $5,800 Tom Howard Poetry Contest for Verse in All Styles and Genres. This contest closes on September 30 and opens on December 15 each year. Please click this link for further information:

http://tomhowardpoetry.bravepages.com

The John Howard Reid & Tom Howard Short Story, Essay and Prose Contest

  RESULTS for the 2011 Contest (that closed March 31, 2011) are posted at http://shortstorycontest.0catch.com 

RESULTS for the 2010 Contest (that closed March 31, 2010) are posted at http://writeway.exactpages.com 

The Margaret Reid Poetry Prize 

for Traditional Verse

in all styles

& genres

Here is the fourth and latest Anthology of Prizewinning Poems from the Tom Howard Poetry Prize and the Margaret Reid Prize for traditional verse. Amazon are offering a special price of only $9.95. Unfortunately, owing to copyright restrictions, this book will NOT be available as an e-book, but as a traditional printed book only. 

The 20th John Howard Reid & Tom Howard Short Story, Essay and Prose Contest

IS NOW OPEN!

Please scroll right down this page.

Or visit: http://shortstorycontest.0catch.com

Short Story, Essay and Prose Contest closes March 31, EACH YEAR. Prize Money for fiction and prose entered in Contest 20 will be US$5,550 cash,  including a First Prize of US$3,000 and a Second Prize of US$1,000! Online submission is available at Winning Writers: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/tomstory/ts_guidelines.php

Here's absolute-must reading for all who wish to succeed in literary contests and writing competitions! A new edition, illustrated below, of my famous handbook "WRITE WAYS TO WIN WRITING CONTESTS: How to Join the Winners' Circle for Short Story Awards, Poetry Prizes, etc." is now available. The new edition not only has extra pages, extra features, and information that is right up to date, but is less expensive! What's more, Amazon have now published a Kindle edition for only $2.99! Barnes and Noble, Sony, Apple and other e-book stores are selling a slightly more updated edition for $3.99. Please click this link for Amazon Kindle: Write Ways to WIN WRITING CONTESTS

What's $2.99 compared to increasing your chances of carrying off that $3,000 in cash First Prize? 

Do you find it hard to think up a good title and/or find exciting names for your characters? I know I do. But my problems were solved when I compiled HOLLYWOOD CLASSICS TITLE INDEX TO ALL MOVIES... Here are thousands of titles and names with proven impact. Movie titles and names are designed to attract attention. Of course, it's not a good idea to use the names of current stars and recent movies, but here are thousands of great titles and names dating back to 1920! I wish this book had been available back in the 1980s when I had a publishing contract for two novels a year. Until now I've never understood why some of my books were spectacular successes (even if rubbished by the critics), yet on the other hand, two novels, "Challenge the Wind" and "Fast Times in Paradise" that were praised to the skies and honored with awards, struggled to sell a few hundred copies. How come? This book tells me that "Challenge" is not just a bad word, it's an absolute turn-off. Only two movie titles begin with that word, and one of them produced such a negative reaction, the title was changed! "Fast" is another negative. The book lists only one movie beginning with the word. I should have titled the book, "My Fast Times in Paradise!" No less than seventeen movies begin with "My". It's a positive word that people can relate to. This massive book (344 pages) is available in e-book editions everywhere for only 99 cents! (The Amazon link with no price shown is actually the 99 cents Kindle edition). 

7th Annual Margaret Reid Prize

for Traditional Verse 

The Margaret Reid Poetry Prize for Traditional Verse is now open. Closing date: June 30, 2012. For full details and online submission and mailing address: http://winningwriters.com/contests/margaret/ma_guidelines.php

Total Prize money: $5,550 (including a First Prize of $3,000, a Second Prize of $1,000, a Third Prize of $400 and a Fourth Prize of $250 plus six Most Highly Commended awards of $150 each).

Entry fee: $8 for every 25 lines (or part thereof). Blank lines and titles are not counted.

VERY FEW RESTRICTIONS 

Send as many poems as you like. No restrictions on length or subject matter. Poems must be your original work, but previously published poems and poems that have won prizes in other contests are welcome. "Traditional Verse" is loosely defined, and includes free verse, haiku and most other popular forms except prose poems and storoems. In other words, your entries should look like poetry (or like any of the 106 winning and commended poems published in "SAILING IN THE MIST OF TIME").   

Entry forms are not necessary, but by entering this contest you agree to abide by all its conditions. Decisions by the chief judge are final. 

Winning and highly commended entries may be offered free print publication in an anthology of similar size and quality to SAILING IN THE MIST OF TIME. However, you retain all rights and are free to accept or decline all offers of print publication whether it be in a quality trade paperback similar to SAILING IN THE MIST OF TIME or any other printed book. However, you must agree to publication of your winning entry on the Winning Writers website.